Matching dinosaur footprints found more than 3,700 miles apart

A squad of paleontologists recovered matching dinosaur footprints connected what are present 2 antithetic continents, separated by thousands of miles of ocean.

The footprints, dating backmost to the Early Cretaceous period, were recovered successful Brazil and successful Cameroon, researchers wrote successful a survey published Monday by the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science. The find shows wherever land-dwelling dinosaurs were capable to transverse freely betwixt South America and Africa earlier the 2 continents divided isolated millions of years ago. 

Land shifts

The much than 260 footprints researchers studied were recovered impressed into mud and silt on past rivers and lakes, with much than 3,700 miles separating the ones successful South America and Africa, according to the study. Paleontologists determined they were akin successful age, signifier and successful geological and sheet tectonic contexts.

Dinosaurs made the tracks 120 cardinal years agone connected a azygous supercontinent known arsenic Gondwana, which had breached disconnected from the larger landmass of Pangea — erstwhile the world's lone continent, Southern Methodist University paleontologist Louis Jacobs said. 

"One of the youngest and narrowest geological connections betwixt Africa and South America was the elbow of northeastern Brazil nestled against what is present the seashore of Cameroon on the Gulf of Guinea," Jacobs, the pb survey author, said. "The 2 continents were continuous on that constrictive stretch, truthful that animals connected either broadside of that transportation could perchance determination crossed it."

The continents present known arsenic Africa and South America started to divided astir 140 cardinal years ago, researchers said. The southbound Atlantic Ocean yet filled the void. 

Basins formed arsenic the continents pulled apart; rivers flowed and lakes formed successful those basins, Jacobs said. The basins wherever the footprints were discovered tin beryllium recovered connected some sides of the split.  

What we cognize astir the dinosaurs 

Most of the footprints were made by three-toed theropods, a radical of carnivorous dinosaurs, researchers said. There were besides prints near down by sauropods oregon ornithischians.

"Plants fed the herbivores and supported a nutrient chain," Jacobs said. "Muddy sediments near by the rivers and lakes incorporate dinosaur footprints, including those of meat-eaters, documenting that these stream valleys could supply circumstantial avenues for beingness to question crossed the continents 120 cardinal years ago."

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